Living room of a pied-à-terre in Central Park West by Thad Hayes. Photo by Scott Frances

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to selecting and placing what, for many, is among the largest-scale purchases for the home: the sofa. It’s often front and center in the more high-traffic areas of the home, and it usually has to serve multiple uses, from cocktails to cuddling and kicking back.

Here, designers tell us what they think about when selecting the ideal sofa.

Firm cofounder Michael Cox says: “Shape, style and upholstery are all obviously aesthetically important. But without the right sitting depth, cushion construction and perfect pitch, a sofa is just another horizontal platform.”

“There are so many ingredients to the great sofa recipe — the truly best are a sublime balance of style and comfort,” says Russell Groves of Groves & Co. “Beautiful details, finishes and a fantastic fabric certainly add to the ‘excellence’ factor!”

According to Charleston designer Angie Hranowsky, “the most important thing to know when choosing the perfect sofa is its purpose. Is it for conversation, or for watching TV and lounging? Then you can determine the right depth and seat height.”

“I like shapes and forms that are exaggerated in proportion, meaning either greater or lesser dimensions than the ‘standard classic,’ ” says Thad Hayes. “We’ll often accentuate lengths that start to become architectural and less object-like, sometimes 14 feet long. That begins to organize the room.” In a penthouse on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Hayes created a space within a space by grouping a custom sofa with four matching armchairs.